TSA Fairness Act promoted to bring air service back to Klamath Falls

Summary: Because the TSA has refused to supply screening services in Klamath Falls in order for Penair to begin service to Portland, a bipartisan group of Oregon’s federal legislators have submitted a bill that would require the TSA to provide screening services to airports that lost air service in 2013 or later. This is not academic since if it happened to Klamath Falls and therefore it could certainly happen to Chico. I think if this bill goes anywhere we should lobby the City Council to ask Rep. LaMalfa and Senators Boxer and Feinstein to support it.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oregon’s Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Reps.Greg Walden and Peter DeFazio today introduced the bipartisan Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act, or ‘TSA Fairness Act,’ which would restore commercial air service to the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport by bringing back federal TSA screening at the airport.

“The Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport is a critical transportation link for the region, and it’s unacceptable for bureaucrats 3,000 miles away in D.C. to stand in the way of restoring commercial service,” said Merkley. “It’s time for the TSA to restore screening services in Klamath Falls and ensure that local residents, businesses and Kingsley Field have the air travel options that are so essential in today’s interconnected economy.”

“Oregonians who live in and around Klamath Falls should be able to count on TSA to work for them just as it does for larger cities,” Wyden said. “Our state’s rural economy depends heavily on the viability of its local airports and our bipartisan bill would require TSA to be a better partner in helping ensure essential connections for rural communities.” Read the full article.